Santa's Surprises Cookies

2 sticks butter (softened)

1 cup creamy peanut butter

1 cup light brown sugar

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

3½ cups all purpose flour (sifted)

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

1 bag SNICKERS miniatures

1 bag DOVE milk or dark chocolate gifts

Combine the butter, peanut butter, and sugars using a mixer on a medium to low speed until light and fluffy.Slowly and eggs and vanilla until thoroughly combined. Then mix in flour, salt and baking soda.Cover and chill dough for 2-3 hours.Unwrap all SNICKERS Miniatures.Remove dough from refrigerator. Divide into 1 tablespoon pieces and flatten.Place a SNICKERS Miniatures in the center of each piece of dough.Form the dough into a ball around each SNICKERS Miniature.Place on a greased cookie sheet and bake at 300° F for 10-12 minutes.Let cookies cool on baking rack or wax paper. (Holiday Hint: Spruce up Santa’s surprise by drizzling melted DOVE Milk or Dark Chocolate Gifts over the top of each cookie!)Makes 2 dozen cookies.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

INGREDIENTS

4 cups flour
4 tsps baking powder
2 tsps baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 tsps cinnamon
2 tsps milk
2 tsps vanilla
2 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 cup butter
1 can pumpkin
12 oz. chocolate chips

METHOD

Mix dry ingredients together. Mix sugar and butter together, add eggs blend together well. Mix in rest of ingredients. Drop by rounded teaspoon ful. Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes.

Recipe from Aunt Bobbie

Oatmeal Cranberry Cookie Mix

INGREDIENTS
1/2 C flour
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 C sugar
1/4 C packed brown sugar
1 C Old-fashioned oats
1 C walnuts
1/2 C shedded wheat, crushed
1/2 C dried cranberries
1/2 C butter, softened
1 egg
2 T. water
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

METHOD
In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking soda and salt.
In a large bowl, beat egg, water and vanilla until blended.
Add all the dry ingredients and mix well.
Drop by rounded Tablespoons 2 in. apart on baking sheet.
Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown.

Yeild: 2 1/2 dozen

Peppermint Meltaways

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1 cup LAND O LAKES® Butter, softened

1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup cornstarch

GLAZE

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

2 tablespoons LAND O LAKES® Butter,softened

1 to 2 tablespoons milk

1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract

2 to 3 drops red food color, if desired Candy canes or hard peppermint candy, crushed

METHOD

Combine sugar, butter and 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract in large bowl. Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until creamy. Reduce speed to low; add flour and cornstarch. Beat until well mixed. Cover; refrigerate until firm (30 to 60 minutes). Heat oven to 350°F. Shape rounded teaspoonfuls of dough into 1-inch balls. Place 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Let stand 1 minute; remove from cookie sheets. Cool completely. Meanwhile, combine 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons butter, 1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract and enough milk for desired glazing consistency in small bowl. Stir in food color, if desired. Drizzle over cooled cookies. Immediately sprinkle with crushed candy. Yield: 4 dozen cookies

Recipe from Taste of Home Magazine

Cranberry-Apple Relish

Ingredients

- 1 lb. Northern Spy apples
- 1 lb. dark red cranberries
- 2 cups sugar
- 2 whole Navel oranges, peel on

Method

1. Wash and core the apples, leaving the skin intact.
2. Freeze the cranberries solid.
3. In a food processor, add half frozen cranberries and half apples and turn to chop speed so that the pieces are about a 1/4" square.
4. Chop the entire pound of apples/ cranberries and place in large mixing bowl and add sugar. Chop the peel-on whole navel oranges to the same consistency and mix into the apples/ cranberries/ sugar.
5. Refrigerate and let set 1 hour before serving.

**This recipe comes from Zehnders **

Peanut Butter Balls

Ingredients

2 c. peanut butter
1 c. butter, melted
1 (1 lb.) powdered sugar
3 c. Rice Krispies
1/2 cube paraffin
1 lb. chocolate, melted (suggested Nestle's semi-sweet chocolate chips)

Method

Mix first 4 ingredients; roll into balls; dip into chocolate.


Recipe from Audrey Schepler

Mamie's Million Dollar Fudge

Ingredients

4 1/2 cup sugar

1/8 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons butter
1 (12-ounce) can evaporated milk
1 (12-ounce package or 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
12 (1-ounce) squares sweet baking chocolate
1 (7-ounce) jar or 2 cups marshmallow creme
2 cups chopped nuts

Method

1. Combine sugar, salt, butter and evaporated milk in a heavy saucepan and bring to a boil for 6 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. In a bowl, pour the boiling syrup over semi-sweet chocolate chips and sweet baking chocolate. Beat until smooth and well blended. Stir in marshmallow creme and chopped nuts.
3. Pour into a buttered 13 x 9-inch pan. Cool. Cut into 2-inch squares.

Recipe from Grandma Schepler

Hard Candy

Ingredients

2 c. sugar
1 c. light corn syrup
1 c. water
1 tsp. oil (not flavoring)
Food coloring
Powdered sugar

Method

Sprinkle cookie sheet with powdered sugar or spread a large piece of heavy aluminum foil and sprinkle with powdered sugar. Mix together sugar, syrup and water. Cook and stir occasionally until candy thermometer reaches hard crack stage. Remove from heat. Add food coloring and oil. Stir and pour on powdered cookie sheet. Cool. Break in pieces.

Recipe from Grandma Gordon

Grandma's Sugar Cookies

Ingredients

4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cup sugar
2 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon baking soda
3 sticks softened margarine
3 large eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Method

Preheat oven to 350°F. Combine flour, baking powder, salt, nutmeg and baking soda in a large mixing bowl; set aside. Combine shortening, eggs, milk and vanilla. Add to the dry ingredients and stir until well mixed. Roll out quite thick and sprinkle with sugar before baking. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes or until slightly golden.

Recipe from Grandma Schepler

These are Dylan's absolute favorite cookie...he begs for them all the time!

Peanut Butter Kiss Cookies

Ingredients

1 c. butter
2/3 c. creamy peanut butter
1 c. granular sugar
1 c. brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
2 2/3 c. flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
16 oz. pkg. chocolate kiss candy

Method

Combine butter, peanut butter and sugars; blend until creamy. Add eggs and vanilla; blend. Mix flour, salt and soda, add to cream mixture; stir well. Roll dough into quarter size balls. Roll ball in bowl of sugar. Bake dough at 350 degrees for 8 minutes, take out, place chocolate kiss in center of each cookie. Bake an additional 2 minutes.


Recipe from Audrey Schepler

Mexican Wedding Cakes

Ingredients

1 lb. butter, softened
1 c. powdered sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
4 c. flour
1/2 c. finely chopped nuts

Method

Beat butter until creamy. Add vanilla and 1 cup powdered sugar and beat until creamy. Combine flour, and nuts . Stir into butter mixture. Shape into 1-inch balls. Place on ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 400 degrees for 14 minutes. Roll in powdered sugar.


Recipe from Grandma Gordon

Miniature Peanut Butter Treats

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 40 miniature chocolate covered peanut butter cups, unwrapped

Method

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Sift together the flour, salt and baking soda; set aside.
3. Cream together the butter, sugar, peanut butter and brown sugar until fluffy. Beat in the egg, vanilla and milk. Add the flour mixture; mix well.
4. Shape into 40 balls and place each into an ungreased mini muffin pan.
5. Bake at 375 degrees for about 8 minutes. Remove from oven and immediately press a mini peanut butter cup into each ball. Cool and carefully remove from pan.

Recipe from Aunt Brenda Spencer

Grandma's Filled Cookies

Ingredients

1 c. butter
1 c. white sugar
1 c. brown sugar
1 c. buttermilk
4 c. flour
1 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla

Filling

1 lb. raisins
2 T.. sugar
2 T. Flour
1 T. vanilla
1 c. water
1 T. butter (heaping)
Crushed nuts (optional)
*Heat through*

Method

Mix all cookie dough ingredients together. Add 1/2 cup more flour if needed to roll dough. Divide dough in half and roll out 1/4-inch thick and spread 1/2 raisin filling on top. Bake approximately 15 minutes or until golden brown at 350 degrees.


Recipe from Grandma Schepler

Pumpkin Pie

Ingredients

1 large can of pumpkin
2 c. sugar
1 tsp salt
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp vanilla
2 c. PET milk
5 eggs slightly beaten
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1 pie crust

Method

Mix ingredients together and pour into a 9 inch pie plate. Bake at 425 for 15 minutes and 350 degrees until set.


Recipe from Grandma Gordon

Mom's Apple Pie

Ingredients

2 pie crusts
4 c. sliced tart apples
1 c. sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
2 T. flour
1 T. butter

Method

Pare apples; slice thin. Add sugar mixed with flour, salt and spices. Fill 9 inch pie crust. Dot with butter; add top crust. Bake at 450 degrees for 10 minutes, then 350 degrees for about 40 minutes.


Recipe from Audrey Schepler

Cinnamon Rolls

Ingredients

1 package yeast
1/2 c. warm water
2 T. margarine
1 egg
3 T. Sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2 1/2 c. flour

Method

Dissolve yeast in warm water. Beat in sugar, salt, margarine, egg and 1 cup flour to make soft dough. Knead 2 minutes until smooth. Roll out to a 18x9 size. Brush with butter. Sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon. Let rise for 30 minutes then bake at 375 degrees for 30-35 minutes.


Recipe from Audrey Schepler

Grandma's Almond Rolls

Ingredients

4 c. sifted four
1 T. salt
1/4 c sugar
1 1/2 pkg yeast (dry)
2 can almond filling
1/4 c. very warm water
1 c. margarine
3 egg yolks (beaten)
1 c. milk scalded
(cooled to lukewarm)

Method

Put flour, salt, and sugar in large bowl. Cut in margarine. Dissolve yeast in very warm water, let stand 5 minutes without stirring. Combine mixture with milk, eggs and yeast. Beat well. Chill over night. Divide dough in half. Roll out to pie crust thickness. Spread with almond filling, sprinkle with cinnamon. Roll up and cut in 1 inch slices. Let rise in pan 1 hour. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Makes 2- 8x8 inch pans.


Recipe from Grandma Schepler
These are a must over the holidays!

Puppy Chow

Ingredients

12 oz Crisp pix cereal

2 cup chocolate chips
1 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup butter
1 cup powdered sugar

9 cup Chex
1 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup butter
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cup powdered sugar

Method

Put cereal in large bowl. Melt chocolate chips, peanut butter, and butter. Remove from heat. Pour over cereal, put into a large plastic bag with powdered sugar and shake well to coat.
Spread mixture evenly on wax paper and allow to cool.

Recipe from Audrey Schepler

Chex- Party Mix

Ingredients

1 stick (1/2 c.) butter
1 1/4 tsp. seasoned salt
4 1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
2 2/3 c. Rice Chex
2 2/3 c. Wheat Chex
2 2/3 c. Corn Chex 1 c. salted mixed nuts
Method

Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Heat butter in large shallow roasting pan in oven until melted. Stir in seasoned salt and Worcestershire sauce. Add Chex and nuts. Mix until all pieces are coated. Heat in oven 1 hour, stir every 15 minutes. Spread on absorbent paper to cool.


Recipe from Audrey Schepler

Easy Almond Rolls

Ingredients 1-7 oz box Almond Paste

1 stick (8 tbsp) butter, room temperature

3 Tbsp sugar

3 Tbsp cinnamon

1 Tbsp flour

2 (8 oz) tubes refrigerated crescent rolls (8 count each)

Icing:

1 cup powdered sugar

1 Tbsp orange juice or

1 Tbsp milk mixed with 1/4 tsp almond extract

Optional garnish: toasted almonds slivers

Method 1 Preheat oven to 375F or to temperature noted with crescent roll directions. Lightly grease a cookie sheet. 2 Grate Almond Paste on large hole side of a box grater. Add Almond Paste, butter, sugar, cinnamon and flour to a bowl or food processor. Mix until well blended. 3 Unroll crescent dough. Divide each package into 4 rectangles. Pinch center seams (of 2 triangles) together securing the rectangle shape. With a spatula, spread equal amounts of cinnamon almond filling over each rectangle. 4 Starting at the short end of each rectangle, roll dough into a roll and pinch seam closed. Cut each roll into 3 equal pieces and slightly flatten with fingers. 5 Place each piece, side by side, on baking sheet (four rows across and six rows down). Bake for 12 - 14 minutes or until golden brown in color. Cool on wire rack. 6 While rolls are cooling, whisk powdered sugar with orange juice or milk mixed with almond extract. Spread onto cooled rolls. For an extra pretty garnish sprinkle with toasted almonds while icing is still wet. Recipe from Stacey Jones *This recipe is a knockoff of a homemade version my Grandma used to make*